Methods and systems for providing hardware updates in a software provisioning environment

ABSTRACT

A provisioning server can remotely determine target machines, requiring a hardware update, and remotely provide the hardware updates to the target machines. The provisioning server can identify hardware updates for target machines in a network it serves. The provisioning server can operate in conjunction with a network management server in order to identify the target machines, requiring the hardware update. The provisioning server can generate the hardware update for the target machines and provide the hardware update to the target machines.

FIELD

This invention relates generally to software provisioning.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Software provisioning is the process of selecting a target machine, such as a server, loading the appropriate software (operating system, device drivers, middleware, and applications), and customizing and configuring the system and the software to make it ready for operation. Software provisioning can entail a variety of tasks, such as creating or changing a boot image, specifying parameters, e.g. IP address, IP gateway, to find associated network and storage resources, and then starting the machine and its newly-loaded software. Typically, a system administrator will perform these tasks using various tools because of the complexity of these tasks. Unfortunately, there is a lack of provisioning control tools that can adequately integrate and automate these tasks.

In addition to software updates, computer systems often require updates to the hardware of the system. This can include updates to the computer systems Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) and updates to the firmware of particular devices on the machine. Typically, these updates are delivered on a disk, such as compact disk (CD) or digital versatile disk (DVD), as an update image. As such, in a network of computer systems, an administrator must physically visit each system in order to load and perform the update.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall provisioning environment in which various embodiments of the present teachings can be practiced;

FIG. 2 illustrates the overall provisioning environment in which a provisioning server can provide hardware updates to target machines, according to various embodiments;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a provisioning server, according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart for providing hardware updates to target machines, according to various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of information and systems, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Embodiments of the present teachings relate to systems and methods for providing hardware updates in a software provisioning environment. More particularly, a provisioning server can remotely determine target machines, requiring a hardware update, and remotely provide the hardware updates to the target machines.

According to embodiments, a provisioning server can be configured to identify hardware updates for target machines in a network it serves. For example, the hardware updates can include device firmware updates and BIOS updates. The provisioning server can be configured to operate in conjunction with a network management server in order to identify the target machines, requiring the hardware update. The provisioning server can be configured to instruct the network management server to query the target machines in the network. The network management server can be instructed to query the network to determine target machines that include the hardware, subject to the update, and to determine whether the hardware requires the update.

According to embodiments, once the target machines are determined, the provisioning server can be configured to generate the hardware update for the target machines and provide the hardware update to the target machines. To provide the update, the provisioning server can be configured to instruct the network management server to provide a command to a helper client on the target machines. The command can be configured to cause the helper client to retrieve the hardware update from the provisioning server. Likewise, the provisioning server can be configured to transmit the hardware update to the target machines and to instruct the target machines to alter their power state (e.g. power cycle) to initiate the update.

By providing hardware updates from a provisioning server, target machines can be updated remotely from a single location. As such, a large network of computer systems can be updated without requiring an administrator to physically visit each system, individually.

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall provisioning environment 100, in systems and methods for the execution, management, and monitoring of software provisioning, according to exemplary aspects of the present disclosure. Embodiments described herein can be implemented in or supported by the exemplary environment illustrated in FIG. 1. The provisioning environment 100 provides a unified provisioning environment, which comprehensively manages the tasks related to software provisioning.

In particular, the provisioning environment 100 can manage software provisioning using a hierarchy of commands. In exemplary embodiments, the hierarchy can include at least four levels of commands. The lowest level in the hierarchy can comprise distribution commands, which primarily handle base operating system specific tasks of provisioning. The second level can comprise profile commands, which associate a configuration file, such as a kickstart file for Linux or other operating system, with a distribution and optionally allow for customization. The third level comprises system commands, which associate remote systems that are involved with the provisioning of the software. The fourth level comprises repository commands, which address configurations and tasks related to updating the software, remote installation procedures, and optionally customizing the software.

The provisioning environment 100 provides several capabilities and advantages over the known provisioning solutions. For example, the present invention is capable of handling a variety of forms of installations, such as preboot execution environment (“PXE”), virtualization, re-installations, and image installations.

In exemplary aspects, the provisioning environment 100 enables integrating virtualization into a PXE provisioning infrastructure and provides several options to reinstall running machines as well. The provisioning environment 100 can integrate mirroring of package repositories with the provisioning process, so that a provisioning server may serve as a central mirror point of contact for all of an organization's software needs. In aspects, a set of remote mirrored repositories can automatically be used by provisioned systems without additional setup.

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary aspects the provisioning environment 100. The provisioning environment 100 can be applied to provisioning any form of software, such as Windows systems, UNIX systems, and Linux systems. In the exemplary description that follows, FIG. 1 is presented to explain the provisioning environment 100 for provisioning software, such as Linux, and Linux based software, such as Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux by Red Hat, Inc.

In provisioning of software such as Linux, many system administrators use what is known as the “kickstart” installation method. Kickstart files are files that specify the intended configuration of the software being provisioned. Kickstart files can be kept on a server and can be read by individual computers during the installation. This installation method allows the use of a single or relatively few standard kickstart files to install Linux on multiple machines, making it ideal for network and system administrators.

The kickstart file can be a simple text file, containing a list of items, each identified by a keyword. In general, a kickstart file can be edited with any text editor or word processor that can save files as ASCII text. One skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention may be applied to non-kickstart files in software provisioning. For example, configuration files such as Auto YAST Answer files used in Novell SuSe Linux and Sun Solaris Jumpstart files may also be used by the provisioning environment 100.

Typically, a kickstart file can be copied to the boot disk, or made available on the network. The network-based approach is most commonly used, as most kickstart installations for software provisioning, such as Linux systems, tend to be performed via a network using NFS, FTP, or HTTP on networked computers. Administrators also find it desirable that kickstart installations can be performed using a local CD-ROM, or a local hard drive.

Using kickstart files, a system administrator can create a single file containing the parameters that are needed to complete a typical software installation. For example, kickstart files specify parameters related to: language selection; mouse configuration; keyboard selection; boot loader installation; disk partitioning; network configuration; NIS, LDAP, Kerberos, Hesiod, and Samba authentication; firewall configuration; and package selection.

According to exemplary aspects illustrated in FIG. 1, the provisioning environment 100 can include a provisioning server 102, a code repository 104 which provides access to distributions 106 and 108, a set of installation templates 110, a set of exception plugins 112, a helper client 114 running on target machines 116 in a network 115, a provisioning database 120 which comprises a distribution tree list 122 and template list 124. Each of these components will now be further described.

The provisioning server (from herein referred to as a “cobbler”) 102 is responsible for: serving as an extensible markup language remote procedure call (XMLRPC) handler; linking to or mirroring install distribution trees and a configuration database; hosting kickstart templates; hosting plugins; generating installation images, and the like. The cobbler server 102 can be implemented as software, such as Python code, installed on a boot server machine and provide a command line interface for configuration of the boot server. In addition, the cobbler server 102 can make itself available as a Python application programming interface (API) for use by higher level management software (not shown). The cobbler server 102 supports provisioning via PXE, image (ISO) installation, virtualization, re-provisioning. As will be described later, the last two modes are performed with the assistance of a helper client 114.

The code repository 104 is responsible for hosting distributions 106 and 108. The code repository 104 may be implemented using well known components of hardware and software. Additionally, the code repository 104 can be include one or more repositories hosting distributions. The distributions 106 and 108 can include bundles of software that are already compiled and configured. The distributions 106 and 108 may be in the form of either rpm, deb, tgz, msi, exe formats, and the like. For example, as Linux distributions, the distributions 106 and 108 are bundles of software that comprise the Linux kernel, the non-kernel parts of the operating system, and assorted other software. The distributions 106 and 108 can take a variety of forms, from fully-featured desktop and server operating systems to minimal environments.

In exemplary aspects, the installation templates 110 are any data structure or processing element that can be combined with a set of installation configurations and processed to produce a resulting configuration file, such as a kickstart file.

In exemplary aspects, exception plugins 112 are software that interact with cobbler server 102 to customize the provisioning of software. In general, the exception plugins 112 are intended to address infrequent customization needs.

In exemplary aspects, the helper client (known as “koan”, which stands for “kickstart-over-a-network”) 114 can assist the cobbler server 102 during the provisioning processes. The koan 114 can allow for both network provisioning of new virtualized guests and destructive provisioning of any existing system. When invoked, the koan 114 can request profile information from a remote boot server that has been configured with the cobbler server 102. In some aspects, what the koan 114 does with the profile data depends on whether it was invoked with—virt or—replace-self.

In exemplary aspects, the koan 114 can enable replacing running systems as well as installing virtualized profiles. The koan 114 can also be pushed out to systems automatically from the boot server. In some aspects, the koan client 114 is also written in Python code to accommodate a variety of operating systems, machine architectures, etc.

In exemplary aspects, the network 115 can include a number of the target machines 116. The target machines 116 can represent the particular machines to which software provisioning is directed. The target machines 116 can represent a wide variety of computing devices, such as personal computers, servers, laptop computers, personal mobile devices, and the like. In some aspects, the target machines 116 can represent distributed computing environments such as cloud computing environments. Although FIG. 1 shows several of the target machines 116, the provisioning environment 100 can be capable of managing a wide range environments, such as datacenters with thousands of machines or server pools with just a few machines. Additionally, the cobbler server 102 can be connected to multiple networks 115.

In exemplary aspects, the provisioning database 120 can serve as a data storage location for holding data used by the cobbler server 102. For example, as shown, the provisioning database 120 can comprise the distribution tree list 122 and the template list 124. The distribution tree list 122 can provide an inventory of the distributions 106 and 108 that are hosted or mirrored by the cobbler server 102. The template list 124 can provide an inventory of the templates 110 that are hosted by the cobbler server 102.

As noted above, the cobbler server 102 can manage provisioning using a hierarchical concept of distribution commands, profile commands, system commands, and repository commands. This framework enables the cobbler server 102 to abstract the differences between multiple provisioning types (installation, reinstallation, and virtualization) and allows installation of all three from a common platform. This hierarchy of commands also permits the cobbler server 102 to integrate software repositories 126 with the provisioning process, thus allowing systems to be configured as a mirror for software updates and third party content as well as distribution content.

Distributions can contain information about base operating system tasks, such as what kernel and initial ramdisk (“initrd”) are used in the provisioning, along with other information, such as required kernel parameters. Profiles associate one of the distributions 106 and 108 with a kickstart file and optionally customize it further, for example, using plugins 112. System commands associate a hostname, IP, or (machine access control) MAC with a distribution and optionally customize the profile further. Repositories contain update information, such as yum mirror information that the cobbler server 102 uses to mirror repository 104. The cobbler server 102 can also manage (generate) dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) configuration files using the templates 110.

In exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can use a provisioning environment that is fully templated, allowing for kickstarts and PXE files to be customized by the user. The cobbler server 102 uses the concept of “profiles” as an intermediate step between the operating system and the installed system. A profile is a description of what a system does rather than the software to be installed. For instance, a profile might describe a virtual web server with X amount of RAM, Y amounts of disk space, running a Linux distribution Z, and with an answer file W.

In exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can provide a command line interface to configure a boot server in which it is installed. For example, the format of the cobbler server 102 commands can be generally in the format of: cobbler command [subcommand] [--arg1=] [--arg2=]. Thus, a user can specify various aspects of software provisioning via a single interface, such as a command line interface or other known interface. Examples of exemplary cobbler commands can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/763,315, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. ______ and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/763,333, U.S. Patent Publication No. ______, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can use various commands of the provisioning environment 100 to specify distributions and install trees hosted by the code repository 104, such as a distribution from the distributions 106 or 108. A user can add or import a distribution or import it from installation media or an external network location.

According to exemplary aspects, in order to import a distribution, the cobbler server 102 can auto-add distributions and profiles from remote sources, whether this is an installation media (such as a DVD), an NFS path, or an rsync mirror. When importing a rsync mirror, the cobbler server 102 can try to detect the distribution type and automatically assign kickstarts. By default in some embodiments, the cobbler server can provision by erasing the hard drive, setting up eth0 for DHCP, and using a default password. If this is undesirable, an administrator may edit the kickstart files in /etc/cobbler to do something else or change the kickstart setting after the cobbler server 102 creates the profile.

According to exemplary aspects, a user may map profiles to the distributions and map systems to the profiles using profile commands and systems commands of the provisioning environment 100. A profile associates a distribution to additional specialized options, such as a kickstart automation file. In the cobbler server 102, profiles are the unit of provisioning and at least one profile exists for every distribution to be provisioned. A profile might represent, for instance, a web server or desktop configuration.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can map systems to profiles using system commands. System commands can assign a piece of hardware with cobbler server 102 to a profile. Systems can be defined by hostname, Internet Protocol (IP) address, or machine access control (MAC) address. When available, use of the MAC address to assign systems can be preferred.

According to exemplary aspects, the user can map repositories and profiles using repository commands. Repository commands can address configurations and tasks related to updating the software, remote installation procedures, and optionally customizing the software. These repository commands can also specify mirroring of the provisioned software to remote servers. Repository mirroring can allow the cobbler server 102 to mirror not only install the trees 106 and 108, but also optional packages, third party content, and updates. Mirroring can be useful for faster, more up-to-date installations and faster updates, or providing software on restricted networks. The cobbler server 102 can also include other administrative features, such as allowing the user to view their provisioning configuration or information tracking the status of a requested software installation.

According to exemplary aspects, a user can utilize commands to create a provisioning infrastructure from a distribution mirror. Then a default PXE configuration is created, so that by default systems will PXE boot into a fully automated install process for that distribution. The distribution mirror can be a network rsync mirror or a mounted DVD location.

According to exemplary aspects, the administrator uses a local kernel and initrd file (already downloaded), and shows how profiles would be created using two different kickstarts—one for a web server configuration and one for a database server. Then, a machine can be assigned to each profile.

According to exemplary aspects, a repo mirror can be set up for two repositories, and create a profile that will auto install those repository configurations on provisioned systems using that profile.

According to exemplary aspects, in addition to normal provisioning, the cobbler server 102 can support yet another option, called “enchant”. Enchant takes a configuration that has already been defined and applies it to a remote system that might not have the remote helper program installed. Users can use this command to replace a server that is being repurposed, or when no PXE environment can be created. Thus, the enchant option allows the remote the koan client 114 to be executed remotely from the cobbler server 102.

According to aspects, if the cobbler server 102 is configured to mirror certain repositories, the cobbler server 102 can then be used to associate profiles with those repositories. Systems installed under those profiles can be auto configured to use these repository mirrors in commands and, if supported, these repositories can be leveraged. This can be useful for a large install base, when fast installation and upgrades for systems are desired, or software not in a standard repository exists and provisioned systems desire to know about that repository.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can also keep track of the status of kickstarting machines. For example, the “cobbler status” will show when the cobbler server 102 thinks a machine started kickstarting and when it last requested a file. This can be a desirable way to track machines that may have gone inactive during kickstarts. The cobbler server 102 can also make a special request in the post section of the kickstart to signal when a machine is finished kickstarting.

According to exemplary aspects, for certain commands, the cobbler server 102 will create new virtualized guests on a machine in accordance with the orders from the cobbler server 102. Once finished, an administrator can use additional commands on the guest or other operations. The cobbler server 102 can automatically name domains based on their MAC addresses. For re-kickstarting, the cobbler server 102 can reprovision the system, deleting any current data and replacing it with the results of a network install.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can configure boot methods for the provisioning requested by the user. For example, the cobbler server 102 can configure a PXE environment, such as a network card BIOS. Alternatively, the cobbler server 102 can compile and configure information for koan client 104. The cobbler server 102 can also optionally configure DHCP and DNS configuration information.

According to exemplary aspects, the cobbler server 102 can serve the request of the koan client 114. The koan client 114 can acknowledge the service of information of the cobbler server 102 and then can initiate installation of the software being provisioned. Additionally, the koan client 114 can either install the requested software, e.g., replace the existing operating system, or install a virtual machine.

FIG. 2 illustrates aspects of the provisioning environment 200 that allows for hardware updates to be delivered to target machines remotely. In embodiments as shown, the cobbler server 102 can be coupled to a network 115 to provide provisioning processes and other actions related to provisioning for the network 115. While FIG. 2 illustrates one network 115 with exemplary components, one skilled in the art will realize that the cobbler server 102 can be coupled to multiple networks to provide provisioning processes and other actions related to provisioning.

As shown in FIG. 2, the network 115 can include a number of target systems 205. For example, the target systems 205 can include a group of server computers, such as blade servers. The target systems 205 can include computing systems such as servers, personal computers, laptop computers, etc. The target systems 205 can be connected to power management systems 210 to control the power supplied to the target systems 205 and to alter the power state of one or more of the target systems 205 (e.g. power cycle). The power management systems 210 can be any type of system to manage the power of the target machines, for example, Integrated Lights Out (ILO) by Hewlett Packard™ Corporation, Dell™ Remote Access Control (DRAC) by Dell Corporation, WTI powerbar by Western Telematics, Inc, and other power system supporting network communications. Additionally, each of the target systems 205 can be configured to include a koan client 114.

In embodiments, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to identity one or more hardware updates 220 for the target machines 205 in the network 115. The hardware updates 220 can include updates to any of the devices and hardware contained in the target machines 205, such as device firmware updates and BIOS updates. The hardware updates 220 can be in any format such as installation applications, installation configuration files, installation images, and the like. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to receive or retrieve the hardware updates 220 from any available source. For example, the cobbler server 102 can retrieve the hardware updates 220 from a storage device or system (CD, DVD, hard drive, portable storage memory, database etc.) whether local to the cobbler server 102 or remotely located.

In embodiments, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to operate in conjunction with a network management server 215 in order to identify the target machines 205 that require the hardware update 220. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to instruct the network management server 215 to query the target machines 205 in the network 115. The network management server 215 can be instructed to query the network 115 to determine which of the target machines 205 include the hardware, subject to the hardware update 220, and to determine whether the hardware requires the update. For example, the cobbler server can identify an update for a particular network interface card, the cobbler server 102 can instruct the network management server 215 to query the network 115 to determine which target machines 205 contain the particular network interface card and whether the network interface card already contains the hardware update.

In embodiments, the network management server 215 can be any type of network management application or tool to securely communicate with the target machines 205 to monitor the state of the target machines 205, to retrieve and request data from the target machines 205, and to manage and direct the target machines 205. For example, the network management server 215 can be a “FUNC” server as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/130,424, filed May 30, 2008, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOTE MANAGEMENT OF NETWORKED SYSTEMS USING SECURE MODULAR PLATFORM” (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. ______) assigned to Red Hat Corporation, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference.

In embodiments, once the network management server 215 identifies the target machines 205 for updating, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to receive an identification of the target machines 205 that require the update. For example, the network management server 215 can provide the cobbler server 102 with an identification that uniquely identifies the target machines 205 in the network, such as a Media Access Control (“MAC”) address, Ethernet Hardware Address (“EHA”), Internet Protocol (“IP”) Address and the like.

In embodiments, once the target machines 205 requiring updates are determined, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to generate the particular hardware update 225 for the target machines 205. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to retrieve the hardware update 220 and generate the particular hardware update 225. The particular hardware update 225 is generated in a format that can be read and installed on the target machines 205. For example, the cobbler server 102 can retrieve an installation image and generate an update that can be read and installed on the target machines 205. The cobbler server 102 can utilize the processes and commands described above in FIG. 1 to generate the particular hardware update 225.

In embodiments, once generated, the cobbler server 205 can be configured to provide the particular hardware update 225 to the target machines 205 requiring the update. To provide the update, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to instruct the network management server 215 to provide a command to the koan client 114 on the target machines 205 subject to the update. The command can be configured to cause the koan client 114 to retrieve the particular hardware update 225 from the cobbler server 102 and initiate the particular hardware update 225 on the target machines 205.

In embodiments, additionally, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to transmit the particular hardware update 225 to the target machines 205 subject to the update. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to transmit the particular hardware update 225 to the target machines 205 using the identification of the target machines 205.

In embodiments, once the particular hardware update 225 is transmitted, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to instruct the target machines 205 to alter their power state (e.g. power cycle) to initiate the update. For example, the cobbler server 102 can power cycle (power down/power up) the target machines 205 in order to initiate the particular hardware update 225 or restart the target machines 205 after the update. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to communicate with the power management systems 210 of the target machine 205 to alter the power state of the target machine 205. To achieve this, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to include an inventory 235 and a power management module 230.

In embodiments, the inventory 235 can be configured to include information identifying the target machines 205. The information can include information that uniquely identifies the target machines 205 in the network 115 such as Media Access Control (“MAC”) address, Ethernet Hardware Address (“EHA”), and the like. The information can also include other information that identifies the target machines 205 such as specifications of the target machines 205, network information of the target machines 205 (IP address, host name, etc.), and software installed on the target machines 205. The cobbler server 102 can also be configured to include, in the inventory 235, information about the power management systems 210 for the target machines 205. The information can include identification of the power management system 210, type of power management systems 210, communication protocol or tools utilized by the power management systems 210 (Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), Cluster Manager (CMAN), and the like), access information (login and password) for the power management system 210, and the like. The inventory 235 can be maintained in the provisioning database 120 or other storage.

In embodiments, the power management module 230 can be configured to communicate with the power management systems 210 of the target machines 205. The power management module 230 can be configured to instruct the power management systems 210 to alter the power state of the target machines 205. The power management module 230 can be configured to generate a command or instruction. The instruction can include access information for the power management systems 210 and the power state alteration to be performed. The power management module 230 can be configured to form the instruction in a protocol utilized by the particular power management systems 210. For example, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to utilize conventional or proprietary protocols or tools such as IPMI, DRAC, ILO, fence agents and the like. The power management module 230 can be configured to determine the protocol from the inventory 235. Once generated, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to transmit the instruction to the determined power management systems 210.

In embodiments, the power management module 230 can be implemented as a portion of the code for the cobbler server 102. Likewise, the power management module 230 can be implemented as a separate software tool accessible by the cobbler server 102. The power management module 230 can be written in a variety of programming languages, such as JAVA, C++, Python code, and the like to accommodate a variety of operating systems, machine architectures, etc. Additionally, the power management module 230 can be configured to include the appropriate application programming interfaces (APIs) to communicate with and cooperate with other components of the cobbler server 102.

In embodiments, the cobbler server 102 can interact with the network management module 215 to determine which target machines 205 require the hardware update 220. Likewise, the cobbler server 102 can be configured to generate the particular hardware update 225 such that the particular hardware update 225 can determine if a target machine 205 requires the update. The cobbler server 102 can be configured to generate the particular hardware update 225 to include logic and routines for examining the hardware of a target machine 205 to determine if the hardware update is required. As such, the cobbler server 102 can provide the particular hardware update 225 to each target machine 205 in the network 115, and the particular hardware update 225 can update the target machine, if necessary.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resources that can be incorporated in a computing system 300 configured to communicate with the network 115, and execute the cobbler server 102 and the network management server 215 according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the computing system 300 can comprise a processor 300 communicating with memory 302, such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of or in conjunction with operating system 306. Operating system 306 can be, for example, a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietary operating system or platform. Processor 300 also communicates with the provisioning database 120, such as a database stored on a local hard drive. While illustrated as a local database in computing system 300, the provisioning database 120 can be separate from the computing system 300 and the cobbler server 102 can be configured to communicate with the remote provisioning database 120.

Processor 300 further communicates with network interface 304, such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicates with one or more networks 115, such as the Internet or other public or private networks. Processor 300 also communicates with the provisioning database 120, the cobbler server 102, and the network management server 215, to execute control logic and perform the update processes described above and below.

As illustrated, the cobbler server 102 can be implemented as a software application or program capable of being executed by a conventional computer platform. Likewise, the cobbler server 102 can also be implemented as a software module or program module capable of being incorporated in other software applications and programs. In either case, the cobbler server 102 can be implemented in any type of conventional proprietary or open-source computer language.

As illustrated, the network management server 215 can be executed in the computing system 300. Likewise, the network management server 215 can be executed in a separate computing system including components similar to computing system 300. Accordingly, the computing system 300 can communicate with the network management server 215 via the network interface 304.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram for providing a rescue environment in the provisioning environment 200, according to embodiments of the present teachings. In 402, the process can begin. In 404, the cobbler server 102 identifies a hardware update 220 to apply to target machines 205 in the network 115. The hardware updates 220 can include updates to any of the devices and hardware contained in the target machines 205, such as device firmware updates and BIOS updates. The hardware updates 220 can be in any format such as installation applications, installation configuration files, installation images, and the like. The cobbler server 102 can receive or retrieve the hardware updates 220 from any available source.

In 406, the cobbler server 102 identifies which of the target machines 205 required the hardware update 220. The cobbler server 102 can operate in conjunction with a network management server 215 in order to identity the target machines 205 that require the hardware update 220. The cobbler server 102 can instruct the network management server 215 to query the target machines 205 in the network 115. The network management server 215 can be instructed to query the network 115 to determine which of the target machines 205 include the hardware, subject to the hardware update 220, and to determine whether the hardware requires the update. For example, the cobbler server can identify an update for a particular network interface card, the cobbler server 102 can instruct the network management server 215 to query the network 115 to determine which target machines 205 contain the particular network interface card, and whether the network interface card already contains the hardware update.

In 408, the cobbler server 102 generates a particular hardware update 225 for the target machines 205 that require the hardware update 220. The cobbler server 102 can retrieve the hardware update 220 and generate the particular hardware update 225. The particular hardware update 225 is generated in a format that can be read and installed on the target machines 205. For example, the cobbler server 102 can retrieve an installation image and generate an update that can be read and installed on the target machines 205. The cobbler server 102 can utilize the processes and commands described above in FIG. 1 to generate the particular hardware update 225.

In 410, the cobbler server 102 provides the particular hardware update to the target machines 205 that require updating. To provide the update, the cobbler server 102 can instruct the network management server 215 to provide a command to the koan client 114 on the target machines 205 subject to the update. The command can be configured to cause the koan client 114 to retrieve the particular hardware update 225 from the cobbler server 102 and initiate the particular hardware update 225 on the target machines 205.

Additionally, the cobbler server 102 can transmit the particular hardware update 225 to the target machines 205 subject to the update. The cobbler server 102 can transmit the particular hardware update 225 to the target machines 205 using the identification of the target machines 205. Once the particular hardware update 225 is transmitted, the cobbler server 102 can instruct the target machines 205 to alter their power state (e.g. power cycle) to initiate the update. For example, the cobbler server 102 can power cycle (power down/power up) the target machines 205 in order to initiate the particular hardware update 225 or restart the target machines 205 after the update. The cobbler server 102 can communicate with the power management systems 210 of the target machine 205 to alter the power state of the target machine 205.

In 412, the process can end, but the process can return to any point and repeat.

While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents. 

1. A method of providing hardware updates in a software provisioning environment, comprising: identifying, at a provisioning server, a hardware update for a network of target machines; determining at least one target machine in the network of target machines that requires the hardware update, wherein the at least one target machine is determined utilizing a network management server; receiving, from the network management server, an identification of the at least one target machine; and providing the hardware update to the at least one target machine over a network connection in the network.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one target machine comprises: instructing the network management server to query the network of target machines to determine the at least one target machine.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hardware update comprises at least one of a device firmware update and a basic input/output system (BIOS) update.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification comprises at least one of a network identifier of the at least one target machine and a network address of the at least one target machine.
 5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising: generating the hardware update from an image of the hardware update.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: instructing the network management server to generate a command for a helper client, wherein the command causes the helper client to retrieve the hardware update from the provisioning server.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: transmitting the hardware update to the at least one target machine over the network connection; and sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the hardware update.
 8. A system for providing hardware updates in a software provisioning environment, comprising: a network interface to a network of target machines; and a provisioning server, communicating with the network interface and a network management server, the provisioning server being configured to identify a hardware update for the network of target machines; determine at least one target machine in the network of target machines that requires the hardware update, wherein the at least one target machine is determined utilizing the network management server; receive, from the network management server, an identification of the at least one target machine; and provide the hardware update to the at least one target machine over a network interface in the network.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein determining the at least one target machine comprises: instructing the network management server to query the network of target machines to determine the at least one target machine.
 10. The system of claim 8, wherein the hardware update comprises at least one of a device firmware update and a basic input/output system (BIOS) update.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein the identification comprises at least one of a network identifier of the at least one target machine and a network address of the at least one target machine
 12. The system of claim 8, the provisioning server being further configured to generate the hardware update from an image of the hardware update.
 13. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: instructing the network management server to generate a command for a helper client, wherein the command causes the helper client to retrieve the hardware update from the provisioning server.
 14. The system of claim 8, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: transmitting the hardware update to the at least one target machine over the network interface; and sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the hardware update.
 15. A provisioning application, the provisioning application being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising: identifying, at a provisioning server, a hardware update for a network of target machines; determining at least one target machine in the network of target machines that requires the hardware update, wherein the at least one target machine is determined utilizing a network management server; receiving, from the network management server, an identification of the at least one target machine; and providing the hardware update to the at least one target machine over a network connection in the network.
 16. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein determining the at least one target machine comprises: instructing the network management server to query the network of target machines to determine the at least one target machine.
 17. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein the hardware update comprises at least one of a device firmware update and a basic input/output system (BIOS) update.
 18. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein the identification comprises at least one of a network identifier of the at least one target machine and a network address of the at least one target machine.
 19. The provisioning application of claim 15, the method further comprising: generating the hardware update from an image of the hardware update.
 20. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: instructing the network management server to generate a command for a helper client, wherein the command causes the helper client to retrieve the hardware update from the provisioning server.
 21. The provisioning application of claim 15, wherein providing the hardware update comprises: transmitting the hardware update to the at least one target machine over the network connection; and sending instructions to alter a power state of the at least one target machine after transmitting the hardware update.
 22. A method of providing hardware updates in a software provisioning environment, comprising: identifying, at a provisioning server, a hardware update for a network of target machines; generating a modified hardware update, wherein the modified hardware update is configured to examine the target machines to determine whether the target machines require the hardware update; and providing the modified hardware update to the target machines over a network connection in the network. 